Water Rings
by RandomPhoenix
Summary: Greg and Cyd's romantic vacation goes horribly wrong!
1. Chapter 1

Casualty - Water Rings

**Disclaimer:- **As awesome as it would be, I don't own Casualty...

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Beautiful, a picture perfect scene; meandering down thick blue waters of the Amazonian jungle, surrounded by bushes splashed with trickles of silver, speckled with a whole variety of berries and fruit; wildlife bathing in mornings glow. From above, feathered friends greeted each other with different melodies to the applaud of the scurrying of creatures down below. Ivy swings gently from scowling mothers gowned in emeralds for the evening's ball. Beautiful.

Below the thick canopies of leaves and moss, Cyd shrieked as Greg splashed a handful of water onto her back creating a small lake at the base of the canoe. "Could you not do that please," droned the heavily unshaven tour guide, who shook his head irritably and turned his attention back to steering the canoe. "Yes _Greg!_" giggled Cyd, who returned the gesture with a light slap in his direction, which earned her another splash of cold water in the face. "Could you not do that _please!"_ She mimicked, emphasizing the last word as she leaned in to Greg. The tour guide shook his head disdainfully, muttering dark threats under his breath about "kids" and "too old for this."

The three of them were sat, not comfortably, but relaxed one behind each other in a long, narrow canoe which skimmed lightly through the water. In the front was Djavan, Greg and Cyd's tour guide, whom they had met for the first time earlier that day. Sat behind him, unfortunately, was Cyd, who had already decided she greatly disliked the Brazilian tour guide, not because of his thick accent or distaste for young, British couples, but because of the overwhelming scent of tobacco and spirits which dogged him heavily in the sweltering morning air. Greg, on the other hand, sat comfortably behind his girlfriend, enjoying the swift breeze which ruffled his long hair as he let his hand lightly skim the water's edge. Make Cyd's day the best of her life, he thought, as thumbed the ring nestling lightly in his pocket.

Up front, Djavan coughed heavily into his hand, maybe we _was _getting to old for this job, he wiped beads of sweat from his forehead and resumed propelling the canoe forwards. The gesture wasn't missed by Cyd, who turned away from Greg and asked nervously, "Are you alright, you're not looking too hot?"

"Too hot?"

"I mean, you're not- you're not looking to good."

"Excuse me miss," Djavan said pointedly, turning away from the water. "But ever since you got on this boat you've done nothing but insult me!"

"Hold on mate" Greg interrupted kindly, his voice rising gently over the growing crash of water, "she meant that cough doesn't sound too healthy."

"Oh!" Sounding abashed Djavan started muttering an apology in Cyd's direction, until he was forced to stop by another, deep cough.

"Listen mate, we're both paramedics and we may be able to –"

What Greg may have been able to do Djavan never found out; as they were talking the canoe has swept faster and faster down the river, through a narrow gap in the reeds towards a mist of white spray rising steadily above the crash of water. At that moment Djavan coughed again, louder and more heavily than before, drops of blood dripped out of his mouth and onto his hands, which were now clamped tightly around his mouth, not on the oars which were drifting precariously away.

The rapids came bar a second later, pulling the uncontrolled canoe faster and faster down a slope with no visible end. It wasn't until the first large crash that any of them realised something was wrong. Crash! Jagged rocks, black as midnight, struck out carving deep gashes in the canoe, throwing the inhabitants left and right! Thud! The canoe lurched dangerously. Greg dived forwards to cling onto Cyd. At that moment there was another loud crash, and Djavan was thrown unceremoniously out into the water, his head slammed into a thick black rock! It was then the canoe capsized, throwing Greg and Cid into the cold, murderous depths, on that bright Brazilian summer morning.


	2. Chapter 2

Casualty - Water Rings

Chapter 2

It wasn't exactly the romantic holiday he'd hoped for. His long hair dripping in water, sweat and blood, Greg pulled himself clear of the rapids and onto the muddy banks. What had just happened was… unbelievable! His eyes searched the scene before him; it was too unreal, almost like a movie set. A new, cold wind whistled between the trees over a gloomy, muddy bank. The ground was punctured with debris: a splinter of wood here and there; a torn, empty rucksack; a shred of blue cloth which he now realised was stripped from his own chest, leaving a deep gash in its place.

"CYD!!!" he bellowed above the wind. He was shaking. "CYD!!!" He called again. He was alone…

Suddenly, the seriousness of the situation hit Greg. It was a miracle he'd survived and he knew that, but had he only survived one death to face another, more gruesome death? He was stranded in the middle of the Amazon jungle, home to anacondas, pythons, crocodiles and numerous other deadly creatures who wouldn't give a second thought about making him the evening meal. His tour guide was dead; his partner was missing in this jungle of horrors. He had no food, no shelter, he was miles away from the nearest hospital, he had no way to contact anyone, he was already injured and he was alone…

Greg swore loudly! Clutching his chest, he knelt to the ground, the pool of blood around his feet told him he'd have to fashion some form of bandage before he could search for Cyd. He searched his pockets for anything that could be useful, but they were empty.

"The ring" Greg exclaimed! Of all the cuts and bruises he'd sustained so far, this revelation hurt more than all of them put together. Franticly, he searched his pockets again, ran his hands through the dirt, squinting for any flash of gold among the brown. Eventually, after what could have been endless hours of searching, Greg forced himself to accept that the ring was gone.

Despondently, he snatched at some leaves from dark looking tree; he stripped off what was left of his shirt and used this to hold the leaves in place around the cut. Once satisfied it would staunch the bleeding, he set of downstream, clutching the wound just below his heart, which had never hurt so much.

"CYD!"


	3. Chapter 3

Casualty - Water Rings

Chapter 3

_Oh, why am I wet? Where is everybody? Am I dead?_

After emerging from a thick blanket of icy water into the 'oh so familiar' state of shock which followed unconsciousness, completely alone, those were the first three thoughts which passed through Cyd's mind, in that order.

_Hang on, this isn't the canoe, I'm in the river! Oh my God I'm in the river! What's that touching my foot! Ahhhh! Help! Where is everyone? _

"GREG! GREG! WHERE ARE YOU? GREG, DJARVAN!"

Cyd span around like a top in the water, splashing around for any sign of life, kicking free of anything that might hold her down!

It was hard to take in the scenery around her, not that she much cared, but at first glance there seemed to be nothing around except a vast expanse of water. She had left the earlier rivers with the beautiful scenery in exchange for a cold, grey desert of water. Eventually she emerged once again into reality, or to be more precise, a pointed rock which stubbed Cyd's toe did that for her.

Cyd gasped with pain, and immediately regretted it! Her training as a paramedic completely left her; fear shot down her throat, cold as liquid ice, her entire body cringed with pain. A scream, dark as the water which engulfed her, echoed throughout the clearing.

Eventually, after much coughing, Cyd calmed down and began to fully take in the place around her. The lake she was in was not too dissimilar from the bottom of the flume back at the hotel, except a lot larger, colder, deeper and a lot more poorly maintained. But the flume, and the hotel, and the people she cared about were another life away. Behind her the rapids which had carried her here splashed feebly at the end of their journey, to the edge of the lake a small wolf cub sniffed hopefully in her direction, a clusters of trees leaned gently into the breeze, and right in the middle of the lake, she saw, that she was not alone.

Drifting ominously a few metres away was a dark lump, barely noticeable in the dusty light which flickered through the trees. If it wasn't for the trickle of scarlet floating eerily towards the figure, she may not have noticed it. Shrugging away the pain in her left foot, Cyd forced her attention solely on the figure before her. Was it Greg? Is he hurt? Suddenly, her senses as a paramedic returned to her. She started paddling, or perhaps limping in the water, more drops of scarlet followed her in her wake.

Kick, Splash! Kick, Splash! Cyd worked towards him slowly; eyes fixed on the body before her.

_Greg? Please be O.K.!_

Kick, Splash!

_I'm so sorry! _

Kick, Splash!

_I never meant for any of this to happen!_

Kick, Splash!

Was it Greg? Is he alive? She reached for the body, he felt unreal in her hands, and spun him around in the water. His hollow eyes stared up into hers.

"No!"


	4. Chapter 4

Casualty - Water Rings

Chapter 4

It had been a clear blue morning only hours ago, but now the sky was as black as the shadows which engulfed the unwilling Paramedic. Greg had been working his way downstream for a long time, his legs felt heavy and his muscled seared in pain. He had not dared leave sight of the river, for fear of getting lost, but this stubbornness had earned him a rough and dangerous path. The banks were clothed in muddy water, and it was with great unease that he worked his way quickly but carefully downstream. It hadn't been long before starting that his anxiety about Cyd had overcome him, and it had cost him dearly. If it wasn't for the overhanging branches which he managed to clasp onto in his frantic blindness, he would have been lying in the watery grave which he still followed with a military determination.

Once or twice he thought he heard desperate cry, or a scream for help, staunched layers upon layers of thick, dank vegetation! But soon the sky broke and the floodwaters descended, loud as drums, and eventually he gave in to the realisation that Cyd, no matter how near or far she was, would not hear his cries over the Amazonian rock band! It was so annoying, being helpless, and not being in control!

The bleeding from the gash in his chest had eventually stopped, but this was of little comfort to Greg. The ring was gone; leaving his heart feeling cold, nervous, and even scared! He had let Cyd down, he had lost her and he didn't know if he could get her back. The rain which now pounded on him made his journey, if possible, even more dangerous! His body felt limp and lifeless, he was hungry and exhausted, so reluctantly, he eventually scurried for shelter under a thick, green, low lying canopy of ivy. Knowing that persistence on this muddy roadway would only result in another unnecessary death!

If Cyd was still alive, _IF _she had survived the accident! Greg knew that she would be alone, forced to fight the fearsome obstacles that the rainforest threw at her, alone!

But Cyd was not alone…

Down in the outback of civilisation, kneeling in the shallows of a dirty, polluted river! Cyd had her arms wrapped around the cold, unmoving figure of a thickset, unshaven Brazilian tour guide. Tears poured down her face, adding to the crash of rain drops which pounded down on her like bullets. From the first sight of his hollow eyes, fear had overcome her once again, and Cyd had broken down in fit of tears and screams over the body of a man she barely knew.

Cyd couldn't remember how she had got the body to the water's edge. Was it out of fear or was it out of desperation, but the situation had brought life to a different side of Cyd. Her newfound emotion seemed to be giving her strength but it was still many minutes before she released the body and got to her feet. She staggered to nearby stump and hugged the back of the tree for shelter. Examining herself she saw many cuts and bruises, but somehow she had managed to survive the river's encounter without any severe injuries. She slumped down and embraced the muddy carpet, her clothes were caked in slime and muddy water, her hair now resembled the colour of sewers.

Suddenly, there was a roar of thunder, and the sky lit up, colours blazing! The forest, so grey and empty before, had become alive, shouting in all its glory! And then, as another blaze of light lit up the sky, the lifeless body before Cyd suddenly jerked to life, with a loud, audible cough! Djavan was alive!


End file.
